Here is a major highlight of what happened on Matchday 2 of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). The goals have not started flowing just yet but gradually we are seeing the signs of early contenders and pretenders.
The champions did enough to win their first full point just as Bayelsa United and Warri Wolves have continued the season with perfect starts.
The newcomers, Barau FC and Kun Khalifat FC, were given ‘welcome treatments’ to the NPFL as well.
BAYELSA UTD, WARRI WOLVES IN PERFECT START
After two matchweeks, Bayelsa United and promoted side, Warri Wolves have emerged as the surprise leaders in the NPFL. Both clubs are the only sides with perfect records to the start of the campaign.
Former champions, Bayelsa United comfortably saw off new boys, Barau FC, who came was led to the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa by Ladan Bosso. Last season, Bosso was head coach at Bayelsa United but opted to move in the off-season to join the Maliya Boys. Second half goals from Wisdom Magbisa and Ofem Nneoyi ensured Bayelsa United won 2-0 to complement their opening day 1-0 win at Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) which puts them at the top of the standings.
Wolves returning to the top division after a four-year spell in the second tier, ran over Rangers International 2-0 at the Southern Delta University Stadium in Ozoro. Godwin Oham and Prince Ebhohon scored for Wolves with a disappointed Rangers head coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu accepting responsibility for his tactics that backfired.
“It wasn’t the result we wanted. When we were a goal down, we took the risk by reducing the numbers in midfield and increase in attack to look for a goal and that resulted to conceding the second goal. I accept responsibility for this result,” Ilechukwu said after the match.
REMO STARS SHOW CHAMPIONS STUFF
Of course the titleholders, Remo Stars, would for now watch as their place is being temporarily occupied at the top by Bayelsa United. The champions however stayed within touching distance of the leaders after producing a second half masterclass to edge past newcomers, Kun Khalifat FC, at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba.
Without their head coach, Daniel Ogunmodede as well as key players, the Sky Blue Stars overcame a first half scare to win 2-1. Remo Stars first assistant coach, Sulaiman Kamil, made three changes by throwing in Alex Oyowah, Samson Olasupo and Hadi Haruna in the second half and the trio made their impact felt 11 minutes after coming on, as Ibrahim Abubakar levelled the score at 1-1 to cancel out Henry Ezeonye’s goal from the spot which was Kun Khalifat’s first-ever NPFL goal.
Olasupo got the winner for the champions with 12 minutes to time as the new boys watched helplessly as they were roundly dominated in the second half by their more experienced opponents.
NEW BOYS BROUGHT DOWN TO EARTH
After starting the season on impressive notes, newcomers were handed a harsh welcome treatment on the second matchweek. Barau FC could not withstand the firepower of in-form Bayelsa United despite Bosso’s best attempts from the sidelines to influence things with his tactics.
It was no different for Kun Khalifat FC at their adopted home ground in Aba where Remo Stars simply put up a controlled second half performance to blow the winds out of the sails of the new boys. The only takeaway for Kun Khalifat would be scoring a goal against the champions who rested most of their top players for this trip except for Victor Mbaoma who is currently down with a rib injury.
PLATEAU UTD REMAIN ONLY SIDE WITHOUT A POINT
For the new boys, the pressure is not cranking up yet but it appears that it is in the city of Jos for Plateau United head coach, Shola Adegun and his boys. Two games and two defeats for Adegun’s side including a surprise 1-2 defeat at home to Katsina United on Sunday.
Adegun watched from the sidelines, just as supporters of the club witnessed from the stands as Plateau United fell 0-2 inside the hour mark to goals from Sadiq Abubakar and Uche Collins before Gideon Monday’s strike with 19 minutes remaining only served as scant consolation. This comes after losing 0-1 at Wikki Tourists on the opening matchweek of the season.
The Plateau United head coach is already feeling the heat from displeased fans, and immediately attempted to assure the club faithful that they will turn things around “very soon and very quickly.”
“They have every right to be unhappy. The performance wasn’t good. The result even worse. We can only ask for patience and their trust. We will change things very soon and very quickly. Hopefully we get to earn their trust as well,” Adegun said at the post-match.
IKORODU CITY YET TO FIND SCORING FORM
Plateau United might just not be the only side finding it hard to score goals aplenty since the start of this season. Ikorodu City were last season’s top-scoring side. They scored 60 goals in 38 matches which was a brilliant debut outing for them in the NPFL. Fast-forward to this campaign, they are yet to score after two matches in which they have earned two points following 0-0 draws at Kwara United and El-Kanemi Warriors.
Anyway, their failure to score in their first two matches appears to be a similar pattern with last season when they could not open their goals account in their first three matches in which they took just a points.
Ikorodu City head coach, Ali Kandil, feels differently about their non-scoring start to the campaign. He attributes their failure to score against El-Kanemi in their first home game to a lack of “intensity” and “low block” tactics adopted by the opponents.
“We lacked intensity in the first half. I think it’s a tough result to take. It’s always hard to play against teams that play mid block & low block,” Kandil explained.
LUIS DADONG STANDS OUT
For now, Ikorodu City and Plateau United may be finding difficult to get their scoring boots on, one man has put himself in the forefront of the race for the NPFL Golden Boot Award after two matchweeks. Wikki Tourists striker Luis Dadong has scored in back-to-back matches against Plateau United and Kano Pillars.
Dadong’s goal proved important for the Giant Elephant at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano where they took a point off Kano Pillars in a 1-1 draw. Dadong scored early in the first half before Mustapha Umar levelled the score for Kano Pillars on the stroke of halftime. Dadong sits in the driving seat of goalscorers ahead of Matchday 3 when his team, Wikki Tourists will play hosts to Abia Warriors.
KANO FANS REMAIN A DELIGHT
Dadong enjoyed scoring at the Sani Abacha Stadium and in front of a jam-packed arena as well. Kano fans always turn up for their team and they made the stands colourful last Sunday. The 16,000 capacity ground was filled and orderly.
MATCHDAY 2 RESULTS
Bendel Insurance 1-1 3SC
Alex Oweilayefa 12’ – Ismail Ayodele 6’
Warri Wolves 2-0 Rangers
Godwin Oham 45+’, Prince Ebhohon 77′
Bayelsa United 2-0 Barau FC
Wisdom Magbisa 59′ (PEN), Ofem Nneoyi 74′
Enyimba 1-0 Niger Tornadoes
Joseph Abiodun 6′
Kano Pillars 1-1 Wikki Tourists
Mustapha Umar 45′ – Luis Dadong 12′
Plateau United 1-2 Katsina United
Gideon Monday 71′ – Sadiq Abubakar 12′, Uche Collins 60′
Rivers United 1-0 Kwara United
Ubong Friday 22′
Nasarawa United 1-0 Abia Warriors
Ugochukwu Leonard 10′
Ikorodu City 0-0 El-Kanemi Warriors
Kun Khalifat 1-2 Remo Stars
Henry Ezeonye 15’ (PEN) – Ibrahim Abubakar 70’, Samson Olasupo 78’